Diaphragm valve



3,464,448 DIAPHRAGM VALVE Robert Schmitz, Hatboro, Pa., assignor to Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Original application Oct. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 494,670, now

Patent No. 3,390,697, dated July 2, 1968. Divided and this application Nov. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 698,081

Int. Cl. F16k 11/04, 31/145 U.S. Cl. 137-625.18 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a division of application Ser. No. 494,670, filed Oct. 11, 1965, now Patent 3,390,697, issued July 2, 1968.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cut-out switch for a control system that has selected inlet and outlet ports that are closed by means of a spring-biased lever that applies a force to solid spheres which, in turn, apply this force to associated dimples formed in a flexible diaphragm to force these portions of the diaphragm against two selected pairs of the aforementioned ports and which closed ports can be opened by raising the fluid pressure within these closed ports.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a unique solid sphere and dimpled diaphragm construction of the aforementioned type that provides soft seats and whose construction also allows the valve to be always self-centered into alignment with its associated ports.

A better understanding of the present invention may be had from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a plan view of a cut-off switch;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cut-off switch in its automatic control position taken along section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 shows another cross-sectional view of the cut-off switch in its manual control position taken along section line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 shows still another sectional view of the cut-off switch in its automatic control position taken along line 44 of FIGURE 1.

The conduit 226 in FIGURES 1, 2, is shown connected to a diaphragm capsule 246 of the cut-off switch 248. This switch 248 is advantageously operatively connected with a controller disclosed in Patent No. 3,379,205, issued Apr. 23, 1968; and cut-off switch unit in the manner disclosed in the parent Schmitz et al. Patent No. 3,390,697 issued July 2, 1968. Under this condition, the preformed flexible portion 250 of the diaphragm 251 will be raised by the pressure of the cut-off signal applied thereto from the dotted-line position to the solid-line position. This action takes place while internal and external edges of the diaphragm are retained in position by the punched-out plate 252 that is retained in a fixed position on the manifold plate 254 by means of the screw connections 256-278.

FIGURE 2 shows an arm 280 having an embossed por- States Patent 3,464,448 Patented Sept. 2, 1969 tion 282 that is retained in contact with the flexible portion 250 of the diaphragm 251.

An upper surface portion of the arm 280 to the right of the embossed portion 282 is shown in FIGURE 2 having the lower surface of a sphere 284 fixedly retained in a semi-circular dimpled portion 286 thereof by means of a suitable welding material 288.

A flat head screw 290 is shown passing through a cylindrical slotted wall portion 292 in the arm 280 and retained in fixed engagement with the manifold plate 254 by means of a screw connection 294. A flat portion of the undersurface of the flat head of the screw 290 is shown retained in point contact with the upper surface of the sphere 284 by means of a spring 296 which applies a spring force in an upward direction to a cupped-out portion 298 of the right end of the arm 280. Apertures 300, 302 are also formed in the arm 280 to prevent the head of their respective diaphragm-retained screw connections 276, 278 from interfering with the seesaw pivotal action of the arm 280 which takes place when a cut-01f fluid pressure signal is transmitted by way of conduit 226 to chamber 246. This action moves the cupped-shaped portion 250 of the diaphragm 251 from its dotted-line manual control position as shown in FIGURE 3 to its solid-line automatic position shown in FIGURES l and 4.

The arm 280 shown in FIGURES 2-4 has four embossed portions 304, 306, 308, 310 protruding from its lower surface and in contact with their associated spheres 312, 3-14, 316, 318. Each of these spheres 312318 is, in turn, shown in contact with semi-circular dimples 320, 322, 324, 326 formed in the diaphragm 251.

The four (4) dimples 320, 322, 324, 326 in the diaphragm 251 and the spheres 312, 314, 316, 318 associated therewith together with the spherical ball pivot 284 about which the actuating arm 280 associated with these spheres is rotated provide a unique self-aligning soft seat valve construction. This is so because the flat plane portion of the arm 280 can be tilted laterally or longitudinally on the spherical fulcrum 284. Another feature is that, since the top of the coil spring 296 is retained in the cupped portion 298 of the arm 280 and a cup portion 327 in the manifold 254, there is no possibility for the arm 280 and its associated spherical fulcrum 284 to rotate about the screw head 290.

When the controlling-indicating apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned Patent 3,390,697 is on manual control, the output fluid pressure from a regulator and an associated booster that is being transmitted to a controller cut-off switch unit which are all shown in the aforementioned Schmitz et al. Patent No. 3,390,697 will be exhausted to atmospheric pressure by way of an exhaust port in the automatic-manual transfer switch which is also shown in FIG. 1 of the parent Patent No. 3,390,697.

Under a manual control condition, the cut-off fluid pressure in 226 of the diaphragm capsule chamber 246 of the cut-01f switch 248 will thus be exhausted to atmosphere and the capsule 250 will be moved by the action of the spring 296 acting on the arm to the dotted-line position shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. Under this manual control condition, the sphere 284 fixed to the arm 280 will act as a fulcrum about which the arm is pivoted to the aforementioned manual position as shown in FIG- URE 3. In this position, the spheres 312, 314 will be forced by the associated portions 304, 308 of the arm 280 against the dimples 320, 322 that are associated with these spheres to seal off the ports' 328, 330. Under this condition, the fluid pressure being transmitted through conduit 336 of the FIGURE 1 from a pilot relay of the controller disclosed in the aforementioned Schmitz et al. Patent 3,390,697 and the Schmitz Patent 3,379,205 will be out 01f by the dimple valve 312, 320* from the cut-off switch passageway 340, 342, 346. This fluid pressure is also cut off from being applied to the manual regulator output control conduit associated with the aforementioned regulator.

When the aforementioned controller is placed in automatic, the introduction of the cut-off signal into the chamber 246 will cause the arm 280 to be tilted so that the spheres 312, 314 and dimples 320, 322 will be moved off of their respective seats 330, 328 and the spheres 316 and 318 will be moved into closed engagement with their associated ports 324, 326.

Because the rate and reset valve disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,390,697 are isolated from one another in the aforementioned manner, when the controller is on manual a bumpless shift can be made from manual to automatic or manual to cascade and without the output of the controller changing after this shift is made.

What is claimed is:

1. A valve, comprising a manifold plate containing four spaced apart ports and inter-connecting passages therein, a diaphragm mounted on a portion of the manifold plate and having a dimple portion formed therein protruding into each port, a sphere having a portion thereof mounted in each dimple, a spring supported at one end within and on another portion of the manifold plate, an arm having separate embossed portions thereof in contact with another opposite portion of each sphere, the arm having one end supported by the other end of the spring and an opposite embossed end in contact with a movable portion of the diaphragm that extends into a chamber formed in the manifold plate, a stationary member, the arm having a hemispherical pivot portion integral therewith and extending therefrom that is at a location positioned between its ends and between opposite pairs of the ports and being in point contact with the stationary member, and means to tilt ends of the arm about the pivot portion to force 4 two of the spheres on their associated diaphragm dimple portions into closed engagement with their ports and to open the other ports retained in closed position by the dimples and spheres.

2. A valve comprising a manifold containing at least two ports and interconnecting passageways therein, a flexible member mounted on a portion of a manifold and having an indented portion formed therein protruding into each port, a separate protuberance having a portion thereof mounted in each indented portion, a biasing means supported at one end within and on another portion of the manifold, a plate having a portion thereof in contact with other opposite portions of each protuberance, the plate having one end supported by the other end of the biasing means and an opposite embossed end in contact with a movable portion of the flexible member that extends into a chamber formed in the manifold, a stationary member, the plate having a curved surface pivot portion integral therewith and extending therefrom positioned at a location between two of its ends and opposite ports and being in point contact with the stationary member, and means to tilt the plate about the pivot portion to force one protuberance and its associated diaphragm indented portion into closed engagement with its port and to open the remaining protuberance retaining the indented portion of the flexible member against the other ports.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS Ad. 76,575 10/1961 France.

HENRY T. KLINKSIEK, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

